Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to contactless payment systems, and more particularly to an interface between a radio frequency (RF) device and a mobile communications device.
Related Art
Consumers often use financial transaction instruments (also referred to as “payment devices”) as convenient forms to pay for purchases of goods and/or services (“goods/services”) instead of cash or checks. Over the past several years, traditional “plastic” financial transaction instruments have been modified to incorporate contactless electronic features or completely replaced by a contactless payment (only) devices.
A contactless financial transaction instrument provides speedy and convenient transactions for both the consumer and merchant because the instrument is not swiped or inserted. Instead, the contactless payment device is held up to a special RF reader connected to a point of sale device and a secure transaction is processed. Contactless payment devices use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) information acquisition technology and can come in various shapes and sizes (e.g., fobs, tags), and can have different payment device formats and security features.
A typical contactless payment device includes a transponder and is ordinarily a self-contained device which may be contained on any portable form factor. A system and method for using RFID technology to initiate and complete financial transactions is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,226, which is incorporated herein by reference, as if fully set forth herein.
While contactless payment devices have improved payment efficiency typically, a consumer still carries more than one financial transaction instrument whether contactless or not (e.g., traditional swipe cards). In any event, effecting payment still requires the consumer to have a financial transaction instrument in his or her physical possession when making the purchase, which necessitates the consumer to carry a financial transaction instrument on his or her person while away from home.
The typical consumer also carries a mobile communication device when away from home. In some cases, mobile devices have been used to make payments as well. Such payment solutions use SMS based transactional payments where a consumer sends a payment request via an SMS text message to a particular “shortcode” and a charge is applied to their phone bill. A merchant capable of accepting SMS payments is informed of successful transactions and then releases the goods that have been paid for. Another mobile payment technology is referred to as mobile web payment or WAP billing, where the consumer uses web pages displayed on their mobile phone to make a payment. This technology allows a consumer to purchase goods using a familiar web payment model.
It would be useful to combine mobile communication devices with contactless technologies. One technical challenge in doing so, however, would be to incorporate the features of contactless financial instruments with the processing and user interface components of a mobile device.
It would also be useful to provide users with the ability to choose from multiple transaction accounts through the interface of the mobile communication device. Thus, another technical challenge would be providing access to multiple transaction accounts through a single RF payment device and integrating the RF payment device into a mobile device to allow a consumer the opportunity to select which transaction account to use to make a purchase.
It would also be useful to provide customized information to a consumer through the mobile device, whether the information is from a merchant, a card issuer, or other service provider. The technical challenge here would be to communicate messages between the RF payment device, the mobile device, the merchant, the transaction processor and/or card issuer, to name a few, using one or more communication channels.